Fusible pipe withstands pulling force

Problem

Blair Township in Grand Traverse County, Mich., was required to expand water storage and delivery infrastructure to increase its fire suppression capability.

Solution

The site for the new ground storage tank was 11,000 feet from the water distribution system. To reach it, the township installed a 16-inch pipeline using bell-and-spigot C905 PVC pipe for the open-cut sections and 1,600 feet of DR18 fusible C-905 pipe for the horizontal directional drilling portions, which crossed through wetlands and tight easements along a state road. Underground Solutions supplied the pipe and fusion services.

Result

Sandy soils made for a challenging 1,000-foot pull, but the high tensile strength of the fusible pipe withstood the force with no stretching or deformation. The township improved its fire suppression capability in a cost-effective manner with reduced disruption. 858/679-9551; www.undergroundsolutions.com.

Cast mortar liner rehabilitates pipe

Problem

Workers from Republic Services in San Diego, Calif., noticed severe erosion around the inlet of a 48-inch corrugated metal pipe running 8 to 20 feet below grade at the Otay Landfill. An inspection revealed 200 feet of failing pipe.

Solution

The owners hired AP/M Permaform to rehabilitate the line with Centri-Pipe, a system that uses a spincaster to centrifugally cast a 1.25-inch-thick fiber-reinforced concrete liner. Workers applied PL-8000 mortar in three passes. During each application, the operator in the pipe visually confirmed adherence and layer thickness, adjusting the withdrawal speed as needed.

Result

The rehabilitation, completed in eight days, does not impede hydraulic capacity. "Centri-Pipe was a huge savings over other lining systems and the quality of the structural lining exceeded our expectations," says a Republic Services spokesperson. "We'll be using the product on additional pipe as soon as our budget allows." 800/662-6465; www.permaform.net.

Trenchless point repair system reduces I&I

Problem

More than 3 inches of rain put the Newport (N.C.) Wastewater Treatment Plant into flood mode, costing the town countless hours of overtime and totes of polymer. To stop inflow and infiltration, the town began a six-year sewer repair program using many trenchless technologies.

Solution

"By far, point repairs using the Infrastructure Point Repair System was the most cost effective," says utilities director Clay Dulaney. One repair for a major leak reduced the run time on a T6 Gorman Rupp pump by an hour a day. Dual point repairs costing less than $1,000 sealed a storm drain leak, eliminating the flood mode problem.

Workers also rehabilitated a 12-inch main occluded to half its diameter. The pipe ran over a tidal creek leading to oyster beds. Engineers estimated $50,000 to $70,000 to replace the constricted segment, but workers cleaned and lined it with several point repairs for less than one-quarter of the replacement cost, and with no environmental disruption.

Result

The town dramatically reduced I&I despite a 20 percent increase in residential customers. 877/327-4216; www.irsi.net.

Chain saw makes quicker work of cuts

Problem

Installing a T-connection into a ductile iron water main in Netstal, Switzerland, required closing the busy road and rerouting traffic. The pipe, still under pressure, could not be completely emptied.

Solution

Using the PowerGrit utility saw from ICS, Blount International, workers made a relief cut through the pipe from a single access point and drained the remaining water. They also used the saw to remove other pipe sections. The saw's grinding technology eliminates rotational kickback, keeping workers safer in the trench. The bar and chain design gives operators better control to make precise cuts around utilities in tight spaces.

Result

From groundbreaking to reopening, the road took less than 12 hours, saving the developer time and money, and gaining the residents' appreciation. 855/797-4748; www.powergrit.com.

Fiberglass pipe repairs sewer

Problem

A 70-foot-deep sinkhole west of a sidewalk in Brooklyn, N.Y., caused 11 families to be evacuated from a nearby apartment building. Emergency crews from the city's Department of Environmental Protection closed the block to traffic, stabilized the sinkhole and planned a repair.

Solution

Hobas Pipe USA delivered 120-inch-diameter, 46 psi stiffness pipe to the site within one day of receiving the purchase order.

Result

Crews installed the corrosion-resistant fiberglass pipe, returned the sewer to service, and conducted a study of the infrastructure. 800/856-7473; www.hobaspipe.com.